The present application relates generally to shower plumbing fixtures and, more particularly, to an on-wall shower system that may be retrofit to existing in-wall shower plumbing. Consumers often desire the look of an exposed pipe shower, where the vertical piping connection between the valve and the shower arm is outside of the shower wall versus concealed inside the shower wall. Tub/shower valves are typically kept in place for up to 30 years due to the difficulty and expense of having them replaced. The ability to add other useful features/items, such as a hand shower, or converting to a system with a drastically different appearance and function, such as an on-wall shower system, can be hampered by these difficulties in replacement.
As such, it is desired to provide a shower system having the ability to add features without the need to disturb the shower wall structure or finish, such as breaking tile supported by the shower wall. Such activity is disruptive, and can be expensive because of the skilled trades involved. A device that could be installed on the shower wall by the homeowner, using a standard existing valve body as its water supply, would eliminate the need for such difficult installation and resulting expenses.
The present invention relates to an on-wall shower mounting system illustratively including a tubular main body having an upper supply/shower arm connection, an adjustable hand shower nest, a diverter valve and a main hub. The shower mounting system attaches to a pre-existing main control valve and drop eared elbow in the shower wall. The design is configured to work with a variety of existing control valves. For some installations, the upper supply/shower arm connection may not be located exactly above the main control valve. This offset would not normally be noticeable in a typical shower installation because the main control valve and the shower arm have no visible connection outside of the shower wall. By connecting these two points with the on-wall shower system, even a relatively small offset may become noticeable, which might be undesirable from an aesthetic perspective.
One illustrative feature of the on-wall shower mounting system of the present disclosure is the supply elbow connector that has an eccentric arrangement, thereby allowing the installer to rotatably adjust its position to accommodate a lateral offset (out of plumb) between the upper supply/shower arm connection and the lower main control valve. Additionally, the system of the present disclosure includes a lower tube section between the diverter valve and the main control valve that doesn't carry water and, as such, may be trimmed to length by the installer to accommodate a range of distances between the upper supply/shower arm connection and the lower main control valve. Furthermore, an adjustable connection is provided between the valve handles and the valve cartridge of the main control valve. Because the shower mounting system is affixed to the outside surface of the finished shower wall, but the position of the valve/cartridge relative to the finished shower wall can vary from installation to installation, an adjustment means is provided to connect the external handles to the internal valve cartridge.
According to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a shower mounting system includes a riser assembly having a riser tube extending between a lower end and an upper end, and a connector supported by the upper end of the riser tube. A lower mount is operably coupled to the lower end of the riser tube, and an upper mount is operably coupled to the connector of the riser assembly. The upper mount includes a supply elbow having a rearwardly facing inlet tube configured to be fluidly coupled to a water supply pipe supported by a shower wall and defining a rotational axis, and a forwardly facing outlet tube fluidly coupled to the connector of the riser assembly and defining an outlet axis. The rotational axis is spaced apart from the outlet axis such that the outlet tube is eccentrically mounted relative to the inlet tube, thereby providing for a lateral adjustment of the outlet tube as the supply elbow is rotated about the rotational axis.
According to another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a shower mounting system includes a riser assembly having a riser tube extending between a lower end and an upper end, and a connector supported by the upper end of the riser tube. The riser assembly further includes a first fluid conduit received within the riser tube and extending between a lower fluid coupler and an upper fluid coupler, and a second fluid conduit received within the riser tube and extending parallel to the first fluid conduit between a lower fluid coupler and an upper fluid coupler. A lower mount is operably coupled to the lower end of the riser tube, and an upper mount is operably coupled to the connector of the riser assembly. The upper mount is configured to permit lateral adjustment of the upper end of the riser tube.
According to a further illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a shower mounting system includes a riser assembly having a riser tube extending between a lower end and an upper end, and a connector supported by the upper end of the riser tube. The riser assembly further includes a first fluid conduit received within the riser tube and extending between a lower end and an upper end, and a second fluid conduit received within the riser tube and extending parallel to the first fluid conduit between a lower end and an upper end. An upper mount is operably coupled to the connector of the riser assembly, and the lower mount is operably coupled to the lower end of the riser tube. A shower arm includes an inlet end and an outlet end, the inlet end being fluidly coupled to the connector of the riser assembly. A showerhead is fluidly coupled to the outlet end of the shower arm, and a hand shower is supported by the riser assembly. A diverter valve is supported by the lower end of the riser tube and is configured to selectively divert water between the showerhead and the hand shower.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.